


Crowns

by annioe



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Kings & Queens, Princes & Princesses, War, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-13 16:30:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11188989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annioe/pseuds/annioe
Summary: Elizabeth Cooper and Forsythe Jones live in rival kingdoms and falling in love isn't a great option.(DISCONTINUED TILL FURTHER NOTICE)





	1. Star-Crossed Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> This trend begins on Tumblr after the fandom went crazy - after a long wait, here's ONE version. There are going to be way better versions but I still decided to write one.
> 
> Prompt and idea come from @betty-and-jughead and a plot line in this comes from @bughead4life

> _“Two households, both alike in dignity,_
> 
> _In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,_
> 
> _From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,_
> 
> _Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._
> 
> _From forth the fatal loins of these two foes_
> 
> _A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;_
> 
> _Whose misadventured piteous overthrows_
> 
> _Do with their death bury their parents' strife._
> 
> _The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,_
> 
> _And the continuance of their parents' rage,_
> 
> _Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,_
> 
> _Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;_
> 
> _The which if you with patient ears attend,_
> 
> _What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.”_
> 
> **_–Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet; Prologue)_ **
> 
> * * *
> 
>  

She looked out of her balcony to admire the scenery. The trees parted perfectly in the centre, the flowers and hedges cut precisely to create topiaries. Her favourite was the one in the shape of a dragon, it gave her nostalgia whenever she gazed upon it. Running around with her sister, pretending to fight the leaves with a sword and shield made of nothing but her imagination. The tulips and white roses bordered the greenery, not one flower was out of place. She was sixteen now and every day she leaned on the white marble railing to watch the sun disappear over the garden. It was breathe-taking. How could something so beautiful belong to something so demonic.

Being royalty was as fun as a little girl could fantasize. The glitz and glamour was a major impact. The floor length gowns and the golden tiaras with diamonds, everything she could dream of at her fingertips.

She was nothing more than a puppet.

People seemed to pull her strings, making decisions for her, saying what she needed to say.

All her life, she always wanted a day where she could let go of everything. No lunches with dukes. No one telling her she needed to be skinnier or smarter. No more being perfect. The thought occurred on a regular basis. Maybe she could run away, make the kingdom forget she existed. Change her name and run off to a country where no one cared about her existence, where she’d be invisible. Run far, far away.

She just wanted to be free. She needed an escape.

A sigh escaped her lips, her back now leaning against the railing before sitting on the icy, tiled ground. She could only imagine escaping. She had a duty. Duty means doing the things your heart might regret.

Her eyes lingered to the castle over the hill. There, lived their rival. The Jones kingdom. Centuries passed and they couldn’t get over their ancestor’s vendetta. Great Charles Cooper had rumoured to have killed Sir Augustus Jones. No one dared to speak about it. Many wars were started because of the furious relatives.

She would keep her mouth shut when it came to this discussion. Because that’s who the princess was. A polite, pristine, perfect person. Instead she’d plaster on a fake smile, nod and sit still. She had her own opinions but she had to keep her mind set. She was her kingdom’s next heir. Their next hope.

The Jones heir, Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third was set to rule the rival kingdom after his tragic mother’s death. He was the same age as Betty, slightly older by a few months but he acted like an ‘asshole.’ Betty regarded him as an egotistic, boastful know-it-all who waved his money in front of everyone’s faces. He was rich and no one could stop him. The citizens praised the land he stood on but she never got to meet him in person. The Coopers did whatever they could to separate themselves from the filthy Jones family. But Betty couldn’t help her mind question if that was opinion or rumoured fact.

“Madam Elizabeth? Your carriage awaits,” a maid spoke from the outside the door to her room.

She fell out of her haze, she picked herself off the floor and back into her bedroom. She opened the door to her intricate interior, she stuck her head out. “I’ll be there in a second.”

Walked down the flights of stairs, she was greeted with her mother, Queen Alice Cooper. Dressed in a white formal gown, trailing metres behind her with elegance. Her husband, King Hal had their arms linked. They watched in awe as their daughter took a step on each red velvet step. “You look beautiful Elizabeth,” Alice laid her hand on Betty’s shoulder. She was wearing a pink gown with lace covering her arms. Her hair was half up, half down and her make-up was simple. A small tiara was on her head. “But… stop slouching, princes don’t like it when you slouch.” There was always an imperfection. It was clear to see who gave more attention and love to their daughter.

“Sorry Mother,” she whispered, giving her hand to her father.

His face gloomed with pride, “my two beautiful princesses.”

He walked them both into the Cinderella like carriage. Betty sitting beside her father with her mother at the front, waving to passing civilians.

“Father,” Betty almost whispered too quietly for Hal to hear.

“Yes sweetie?”

“Would mom ever care as much as you do about me?” she blatantly said. There was no way of sugar coating the question.

He gave a sad smile, “she might not show it but she cares a lot about you Elizabeth. She just… has a hard way of showing it. Your mother has a lot going on at once and she can’t pay as much attention to how precious you are right now.”

She just slowly turned her head. Half of her thought he was telling the truth. That she did care for her and her actions. How one day she’d rule the kingdom. But the other half knew he was lying.

They finally approached the white bricked castle. The columns reflected the moon’s light which illuminated the front yard. A small man approached them, holding the door open for them Queen Alice stepped out to the adoring crowd. Many citizens cheered, clapping their hands in appreciation but there were occasional boos which Alice didn’t seem to be affected by. Her mother’s words bounced within Betty’s head, “keep your head held high so people don’t see how weak you can be.”

With her father in hand, Betty walked down the flat gravel. Her heels dug into the ground almost causing her to fall over. The people stared in astonishment. She could whispers coming from the crowd.

“The princess looks beautiful…”

“The princess is perfect.”

“Elizabeth Cooper is so graceful.”

And all she could think was, “they’re all wrong.”

A toddler, the height of most people’s knees stood in shock, his hands reaching out for her skirt and grabbing it, causing the princess to fall on her side, landing straight on her arm. Everyone gasped, the shouts emerged and Betty got herself up. The guards stood in front of the poor kid, hitting the child with intimidating stares before the mother hugged her child crying. “Please, don’t hurt him.”

Betty groaned from the pain, a purple bruise on the tops of her arm. The mother’s cries got louder, the guards almost beating her senseless. “STOP,” Betty mustered her loudest voice before the crowd turned silent.

All eyes were on her. “Stop, he’s only a kid. He didn’t mean to harm me.”

“But your highness,” the guard interrupted.

“You follow the orders of the king,” Hal forced his presence on them. He grabbed Betty by the shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. “Stop hurting the poor woman and child.”

The guards stepped away, leaving a shaken woman and her toddler, shivering in silence. The little boy burst into tears, his tears streaming down his face. The woman got back on her feet, “thank you,” she curtsied, keeping her head down.

Hal kept walking behind Alice who acted like it never happened. But Betty wasn’t down. She crouched down in front of the boy and gave him a warm hug, planting a kiss on his small cheek. “You have such a precious child. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Betty lifted her head up the crying woman. She couldn’t muster a response and just smiled happily, wiping her ugly sobs away.

Betty ran after her parents, finally walking through the marble doors and into the oversized ballroom. It was filled with royals. Some Betty knew, there was Archibald of the Shermer kingdom with his rumoured future bride-to-be and Betty’s best friend Veronica, princess of Lexon and of course, Kevin of Moreilli and the one hosting the party, Cheryl, duchess of DeCarlo.

“Betty! Oh, how wonderful it is to see you again,” Cheryl hugged her, kissing both cheeks before releasing.

“The pleasure is mine,” Betty replied before a squealing Veronica was in her direction.

“Elizabeth Cooper, we finally meet again,” Veronica swayed in an over dramatic posh accent. All three of them laughed, sitting down at the nearby table.

“I adore what you’ve done to the room Cheryl. It makes the room come alive in a scene,” Betty complimented.

“That was the plan. We must welcome royalty with the very best,” Cheryl grabbed her hand and wrapped it in hers, “Betty go tell us everything that’s happened so far. We haven’t seen each other since the last party.”

“I shall… after I get some food. I’m honestly starving,” Betty teased getting out of her chair to go to the buffet table.

There was a variety of food choices. From cracker platters to cakes, they had it all. She couldn’t simply choose just one. She might act royal in front of a crowd but when it came to food, her façade disappeared.

Grabbing a plate, she cut one slice of cake and stacked it onto her plate.

“You know you can have more than one slice of cake,” she heard a gentle voice coming from next to her.

She looked up to see a pair of crystal blue eyes. Amazing. His shaggy brown hair was styled accordingly, his beauty marks seemed to align on his cheek. It was almost like constellations. His unforgettable smile was permanently burnt into her brain. He was beautiful and he gazed lingered on for a bit too long. His voice was soothing, his electric pull was irresistible and his entire structure was, dare she say, perfect.

“I’m,” she muttered out before feeling her cheeks turn red.

“I saw you outside with that poor boy. Some guards are so cautious,” he tried making her laugh but she only grew more red. “I believe we’ve never met,” he stuck his hand out. “Forsythe Jones,” he lightly kissed her hand. An electric shock went down her spine and he seemed to notice it too. She finally woke up from her daydream. Forsythe Jones, her soul enemy. Her stomach was doing flips; her head was spinning endlessly.

“I… I need to go.”

“Wait,” he gripped her by the hand before she got any further, “who are you?”

“I’m trouble, especially for you,” she tried revealing as little information as possible.

He shook his head before smiling that damn smile again. “I don’t believe that’s so.”

She could’ve fallen into his arms right then and there. She had never experience a feeling like this towards anyone. Everything around her was blurry expect him. But it couldn’t be. They were born into this position. Their fate was sealed. Their fate was to be sworn rivals. So why was her stomach still filled with butterflies?

“Elizabeth!” Cheryl and Veronica’s voice was louder than her racing heartbeat. She spun around to see the two staring at her, with confusing on their face. He looked at her with uncertainty. He mouthed the words, “Elizabeth Cooper,” before Betty broke their connection. Her hand moving further and further away from his.

“Why did it have to be Elizabeth. God. Damn. Cooper?” Jughead muttered.


	2. The Day After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm not responding to comments and it's taking me forever to update my fics. In AUS, I'm doing finals and after Thursday I should be free for two weeks. 
> 
> This chapter is also really short but I absolutely love where I'm taking this fic.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

“Elizabeth,” a faint voice came from outside her door. It was early in the morning and everything from last night seemed to be a blur.

 

She wished it was just a dream. The last thing she wanted was what happened last night to be a reality but it was.

 

She remembered meeting him vividly. His dark hair curled, she wanted to run her hands through it. His smile made her swoon in a way that never seemed to happen whenever she was around another guy and the kiss he left on her hand sent shocks up her arm and into her already uncontrollable heart.

 

His handsome face was burnt into her brain. She couldn’t get it out, nor did she want to. Betty wanted to keep that face in her memory for if possible.

 

Another knock came from outside, a bit louder this time. “Elizabeth Cooper, it’s your mother. May we speak?”

 

The name snapped her out of her daze and she ran over to open the golden doors.

 

Her room was furnished quite modern compared to the others in the castle. With pristine white walls, white furniture accented with gold. The marble floor was cold most of the season. Three other doors leading to her closet, bathroom and balcony.

 

Turning the doorknob to see her mum’s face, the lady kept her stern expression.

 

“Elizabeth,” Alice pulled apart each syllable. Betty knew exactly what was happening. She was going to give her a lecture. “It has been speculating that you had a little chat with the Jones’ son Forsythe.  Is this true?”

 

“Mum,” Betty quickly retaliated. The last thing she wanted to talk about with her mum was her newly formed relationship, “we talked for a second. It was nothing…”

 

“Nothing?” Alice couldn’t hold in her anger anymore. “Elizabeth we have a reputation to uphold. We cannot be seen talking to the rivals.”

 

“Why not?” Betty sat down on her oversized bed.

 

Alice followed behind her, sitting perfectly beside Betty. “Honey, our kingdom and their kingdom are on the verge of war. Your father and I have decided to keep things on the…”

 

“You just don’t want to solve your issues and not even talk to them about it. Very professional Mum.” Betty tried sounding confident. Usually when she spoke to her mum she ended up crying or angry that these markings on her hands would turn up.

 

Alice went silent, fidgeting with her fingers.

 

“Madam Alice,” a small brown maid came through Betty’s doorway holding two dresses. One in white and the other in blue. “May I ask you to leave so I can determine which dress will fit?”

 

“Yes Marie, just a moment.”

 

The maid closed the door again. “Elizabeth, today we are finalising the plans for your marriage.”

 

“Marriage?” Betty screamed, the voice echoing within her walls.

 

“Yes. Obviously not at your age. When you turn eighteen, you’ll marry Prince Archibald.”

 

“Archie? What… I thought…”

 

“Betty,” Alice placed a hand on Betty’s shaky shoulder to try and settle her down but it only tensed her up even more. Taking a deep breath in, she tried creating a smile. “The Andrew’s kingdom has got the recourses that this kingdom needs. I swear this has nothing to do with the Jones’.” Alice gave one of her fake reassuring smiles which Betty faked one back.

 

 

Slipping onto her balcony, she starred back over the hill.

 

Meeting Archie again was okay. They were good friends but Betty never saw anything more. She never pictured anything more. Archie was a good person, very attractive but he seemed more like the brother Betty never had.

 

Sighing one final time before her responsibilities flew away like the birds above her.

 

The big puffy skirt underneath her buried her hands in layers on white silk. It seemed more like a wedding dress than a gown. Her golden, curly hair flowed down to her shoulders.

 

 The grey castle blocked in the setting sunlight again. How beautiful. Both the castle and the boy who lived there. Even with Archie, she thought about the dark-haired boy who haunted her thoughts. His ocean blue eyes appeared in her mind every time she looked at the cloudless sky. Somehow he had made his way into her dreams.

 

She knew it was cliché. She knew that love at first sight didn’t exist but maybe it did. Her obsession with the prince seem to make its way into her thoughts.

 

This might have sounded crazy but even at that moment, she thought he was standing in his garden, peering behind a that dragon topiary.

 

His marks on his cheeks, she wanted so badly to trace each one. His peach pink lips, soft and romantic. Betty was craving the feeling of his lips against hers. She wanted to know what it felt, what they tasted like. The thought could create a smile. A deep, genuine smile.

 

She sounded stupid. Betty shouldn’t obsess this much about a guy, especially Forsythe Jones.

 

The kiss he laid on her hand began to tingle. She wanted so much more than a kiss. Her mind went to places a princess should never speak of but in the back of her mind, she wanted more.

 

She stared back down at the figure in the hedge’s shadow. He graced that smirk that was permanently burnt into her brain. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink, knowing she was just imagining things. He wasn’t real. He was just part of his imagination.

 

But the shadow shifted. In a blink of an eye, his entire body moved closer to her. The same gracing smirk on his face but now his deep eyes fell upon hers, the eye contact being intense.

 

She stood up, still staring at him. He wasn’t real, was he?

 

Picking the shirt up and running down the hundreds of stairs into the garden, her dress trailing behind her, she was only metres away from the handsome prince.

 

He was now sitting down on the freshly cut grass, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. She stood before him, trying not to get too close.

 

Forsythe looked up, seeing the beautiful blonde in her lace gown. He couldn't resist another smile.

 

“How… what…” were the only words she could muster out. It sounded more like a breath than words.

 

“Well, hello to you too princess,” he whispered, making Betty blush a bright pink.

 

“I’m sorry,” Betty tried laughing it off as a joke. “Just, how did you get here?”

 

“Your castle walls aren’t as hard to climb as you think. I’m surprised that your kingdom has low crime rates,” he adding in sarcastically.

 

“What are you doing here?” she asked, sitting down with him.

 

He lightly kissed her hand again, sending butterflies to her stomach, “well I needed to see Princess Cooper. Is that too much to ask?”

 

She giggled, biting her lip trying to make herself stop. The blush turned into a burning feeling she didn't want to stop. Her heart was pounding but she couldn’t resist his touch.

 

“Seriously, you might want to hide before the guards send to come for you,” Betty joked while giving him a playful grin.

 

“Oh crap, wouldn’t want to get arrested,” he replied pushing up to stand on his long legs. He reached his arm out for Betty to grab, pulling her up too. “Hey, I want to show you something…”

 

“I don't know if I should trust a guy who climbed over a wall to coincidently come see me. It’s romantic and all, don’t get me wrong,” she blabbed, trying not to get caught up on that, “but that’s also really creepy Jones.”

 

“Trust me I know,” and not a second later, he held her soft fingers in his own, slightly rubbing his thumb along the side. “Do you believe everything your parents tell you?”

 

The temperature seemed to raise. The simple gesture made Betty’s mind scatter, sending mixed signals to her mind.

 

_It was just a friendly thing, not a big deal._

_It’s a huge deal, he likes you._

She swallowed to try preventing her throat drying and finally exhaled the breath she kept in. “You know, you aren’t as cruel as my parents tell me you are.”

 

“Your parents talk about me? I’m greatly honoured,” he teased, tugging her towards the back of the garden. “I need to show you something.”

 

Betty thought about the possible options that could happen. He could be kidnapping her for all she cared, she just wanted to be in his grasp the entire time. Somehow, she felt safe in his arms.

 

“Okay prince charming, lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated.


	3. True Colours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: there's a small dream about smut BUT it doesn't happen.
> 
> Sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes - I'm finally on my two week holiday so be aware of any new chapter coming out ;)
> 
> Thank you so much to the people on Tumblr who read this! Seeing this story on your reading list honestly makes my day. <3
> 
> Also I should mention my Tumblr - @annioe (side blog).

“So where are we going anyway?” Betty asked walking hand in hand with Forsythe. They’d been walking for approximately five minutes, filled with awkward silences and slight whispers. 

“We’re almost there,” he reassured her. She felt quite nauseous. 

Elizabeth had just met him a few hours ago but he already found a way into her life. 

He had this presence around her. It made her feel safe and secure, something her own family couldn’t provide for her. 

“Tell me about yourself Forsythe,” Betty said to try start conversation. He looked at her with a slight smirk pulling at his lips.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you know a lot about me already. I’m the heir to the Jones throne…”

“No, not that. Your real self.”

“My real self?” Forsythe laughed, acting like she sounded ridiculous. 

Betty shrugged, “how about we tell each other a secret. Something the other person wouldn’t know.”

He raised a suspicious eyebrow, “I’m not following.”

An annoyed sigh exited her lips, “I’ll go first then.” She stopped on the spot, pulling a small sliver necklace over her neck. “This is my most prized possession. It’s not worth a lot but it means so much to me.” Placing it into his hands, his fingers wrapped around the pendant. It was a calla lily, white with pearls. 

“Why does it mean so much?” he asked, inspecting the flower, “if you don’t mind me asking.”

“It's from my sister,” she awkwardly replied. She bit her lip and snatched her necklace back.

“I didn’t know the Coopers had another daughter,” he muttered trying not to sound oblivious. 

She looked down to the dirt path, “we don’t talk about it.” 

His warm hand cupped her cheek, smiling affectionately. Her watery eyes could see past his exterior. A fire burning inside.

“Anyway, what’s your deep dark secret Jones?” Betty tried getting back on subject.  
He scratched the back of his neck, “umm. It’s slightly embarrassing.”

“It can’t be that bad,” she supported him, wrapping her hand around his again. 

With a light squeeze, he felt the adrenaline course through his veins. Her soft fingers were strong enough to cause a ripple effect in his body. First his arms, tingling at the mere touch of her. Then his body, tensing up and a quickened heart rate. Finally, his head, filling it with thoughts of her and her sweetly sickening tone. 

Her honey golden hair glowed, reflecting the light from the Sun. Her perfume was daisies and blossoms, a scent that he never wanted to get rid of. Her perfect face and body. She had natural curves in all the right places, her long tanned legs. Her cheekbones contoured her face in a way a model would desire. The colour in her eyes shone emerald green, reflecting clovers and leaves. She was undeniably beautiful.

But he was still a hormone induced teenaged boy.

Allured by the silence, he took a breath before she lightly smiled. 

“When I was younger, I snuck out of the castle and pretended I lived in the village. I was looking around at the Sunday markets when I accidently knocked a glass jug on my head.” He looked over at Betty to see if she was trying to contain a laugh like everyone did but she kept the same encouraging grin. That alone gave him motivation to tell the rest of the story. “I almost died until a civilian finally smashed it and now when I go to the town and the people don't know I’m the prince. They nicknamed me Jughead.”

Astonished, her voice giggled gently. “Jughead Jones. That’s…”

“Embarrassing?”

“Adorable,” she interrupted. He smirked at her cuteness. The pink in her cheeks reddened and he so badly wanted to caress her cheek but he was also moving so quickly. 

Her head now leaning against his shoulder to avoid the thrones, they reached a patch of clean grass surrounded by a range of trees.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been here, I don’t think I realised how badly I wanted to escape that castle,” she whispered in awe as she took a seat. 

“Is that why you came?”

She moved a piece of blonde hair behind her eye, “I guess. I mean I wouldn’t regularly talk to a stranger that asks me to go somewhere but… I don’t know. I sound stupid.”

He placed a comforting hand around her shoulder, “you’re not stupid Elizabeth.”

The simple compliment made her smile a little wider.

“Call me Betts, or Betty. Elizabeth is reserved inside the castle walls,” a sarcastic tone in her voice.

The perfect amount of cosy silence occurred before Forsythe asked, “you’ve been here before? Why haven’t you come back?”

She thought, not actually knowing the correct answer. “For one, my parents would never let me out of their sight because they’re over protective. That might sound like a bad thing but I understand.”

“Is that so?”

“They just want to keep me safe. After what happened to Polly, they’ve gotten quite… strict.”

“Who’s Polly?” he asked, sneaking a look over at Betty.

“You really don’t know?” her voice lowered and suddenly quiet. 

He smiled naively, “no I don’t.”

Betty hands started shaking when the memory reappeared in her mind. She had repressed it to avoid this current situation. 

“Betts are you okay?” he asked, pulling her up so she was leaning against his chest. 

She tried saying something, but before she knew it, tears flooded her eyes. The cold, salty tears ran down her cheek, making her blush a bright red.

This was not the state she wanted to be seen in.

“Betty, are you okay?” Forsythe’s worried voice emerged in her dark thoughts. The memories started disappearing. The sound of his voice was enough for her to pay attention to now and not the horrid past.

She proceeded to nod her head, “I’m fine,” plastering a fake smile on her lips.

“No you’re not,” he mumbled, “do you want to go back? If you don’t feel like going…”

“I’m okay… Jughead,” his name sounding foreign to her tongue. 

Forsythe softly laughed at the use of his nickname, knowing she just wanted to be cheered up. He wrapped his arms around her small body, squeezing her tightly. Her tears pooled onto his shoulder, his shirt like a towel. His strong hand rubbing circles in her back, resting at her waist to steady her.

His faint voice whispered in her ear but too quiet to hear a word. She just thought he was contemplating why this girl who’s “perfect” is being such a hot mess.

“I’m sorry,” she pulled away from his heat, wiping the running mascara from her face.

“What for?”

“For being such a mess,” she sadly laughed, wiping the running tear from her cheek.

He shushed her, picking up her hand in his. “It’s okay Betts, I’ve been through a lot too.”

Somehow he knew. He knew what happened to Polly, he knew through Betty’s reaction and somehow, that made her feel a lot better.

“You said before, when you said I knew you pretty well,” she weakly smiled, resting her hand on her palm. “well I thought you were a selfish bastard who only cared about money and the number of girls you’ve slept with. So, I actually don't know you at all.”

His expression was unreadable. Then a small laugh crept onto his lips which were more prominent than ever. He adjusted himself so he was now sitting cross-legged, pulling his right leg in comfortably. “That’s one heck of a rumour Cooper.”

“So many girls have you slept with?” she teased.

“A few maybe, two.”

“Okay too much information Forsythe, I was asking a rhetorical question.”

“What about you princess?”

She burst out laughing, “like I even have a social life outside the castle.”

“So?” he edged her on.

She shrugged, “I’m supposed to marry prince Archibald in two years but I don’t find him husband material. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with him… I just think we’re better off as best friends and not a couple. Besides that I haven’t slept with anyone.”

His face lit up in shock. His mind went to his wet fantasies, picturing her naked on his bed, stripped from the flowy gowns and tiaras. Her perfect shape pressed against him, hair scattered on his pillows. Running her soft hands into his hair and pulling him closer. The pleasure of hearing her moan his name in satisfaction. ‘Forsythe’ the blonde shouted when he went inside her. Her gentle lips were pressed against his skin, his teeth against hers. The constant back and forth between them and he’d be the first person to do it to her.

She quickly shook her head, “it’s not like you care or anything.”

His mind shot back to reality where the blonde was waiting a response. He too immediately shook his head to rid the fantasies in his mind, “I’m just surprised.”

There was no getting back on that topic.

“Well,” she hummed, resting her hand comfortably on her knee, “tell me something else about you.”

“I’m a writer.”

“No way,” she laughed, fascinated by the fact.

“I used to write about all the fairy tales and made up a few of my own but since I’d grown out of them I continue to peruse my literature in a more non-fiction way.”

“How’s that?”

“Well,” he nervously scratched the back of his neck again, “I write about personal experience and trauma. Somewhat like an autobiography.”

“I’d love to read something someday. Even though I’m a total book addict, I haven’t read anything interesting.”

He interrupted, “because of you and Archie?”

She scoffed, “no. I could care less about that.” She wasn’t lying. She didn’t give a care in the world about her marrying Archie, not yet anyway. “My parents have been pressuring me to be more of a princess since I just turned sixteen two months ago.”

“Oh, happy birthday for two months ago,” he tried sounding less awkward than it was. 

Betty let herself fall on her back, laying herself comfortably on the grass. It was almost night and the moon and stars were elegant. Jughead slowly join her, kneading his fingers hers. She let out a misty sigh, curling up next to him. Even though her gown was big enough to keep her warm, next to Jughead she felt like it was the middle of Summer. She gently whispered into his ear, “you know we’re not supposed to be together…”

The words seem to fill the white noise. They both knew it. They both knew that if they were seen with each other, they would start the next world war. But when Betty was around Forsythe, her body melted and time didn’t exist. Her mind was filled with day dreams and made up stories of those two running off into the woods and never coming back. Obviously, she would never do such a thing but she thought about it. 

He did too. The constant thought of being without Betty seemed to tug at his chest. His mind knew it wasn’t possible but his body wanted it to be. Maybe it was the thrill of defying his dad’s command, ultimately his mum’s too. Being seen with the rival’s daughter would get him in a whole heck of trouble, but maybe that’s what he wanted. It gave him enough adrenaline to pump him up for weeks and she was flawless. Maybe she was just there and Forsythe needed someone and that someone so happened to be Elizabeth Cooper.

Forsythe’s dad wasn’t much of a caring person. After what happened when he was ten, he focused more on leadership and resilience rather than his own son. Having to satisfy the wellbeing of his people was more important that Forsythe.

Same issue with Elizabeth.

But maybe parents are just parents and Betty knew better. Forsythe The Third did not.

He sighed, the slight breeze blowing a piece of chestnut brown hair on his face. “Live in the moment Betts,” he sat back up.

She exhaled, fiddling with the necklace around her neck. Closing her eyes, she tried picturing everything that had happened. The ball, meeting Archie, her mum. Everything had happened so quickly. Perhaps what slowed down everything was Forsythe. 

“We still need to go to wherever you were taking me,” she commented, opening her eyelids again. 

He picked her up, “to be honest, I only asked to take you somewhere because I wanted to spend more time with you. Next time I’ll plan it before hand.”

“Next time?” the amusement in her voice sent butterflies to his stomach. 

“Tomorrow at eight?”

Both standing up, Betty brushed off the dirt that gathered on her dress. “Come pick me up Jughead.”

And he smiled, the biggest smile that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated even if I don't respond :)


	4. Polly

The thought of what happened to Polly still haunted her to this day.

Betty tried sleeping but her eyes were holding back unshed tears and her lips started to tremble. A weight was placed against her chest and her breathing got faster, becoming dizzy in the process. Her hands became numb, her mind felt scrambled and she almost fell out of her comfy blankets onto the frozen floor.

 _It happened a year ago_ , she kept reminding herself as she pulled her blankets closer to her neck. _It… shouldn’t bother you as much. Get a grip Elizabeth._ This time her thoughts imitated her mum’s voice, the same scolding tone Alice would give her on occasion.

But she was right. It shouldn’t bother her as much. It shouldn’t scare her as much, especially a year later.

The graphic thought. The memory that gave her the anxiety attacks. The image of black, of darkness.

It was stupid. It wasn’t like she had to relive the day on repeat.

But she could’ve avoided it. Elizabeth Cooper could’ve avoid Polly Cooper’s disappearance.

How? How did a little decision escalate into her sister’s death?

It was the week of Polly’s 18th birthday. A quiet night. She was dreaming. It was relaxing. She felt at peace.

That entire week she was getting dress fittings, exam finales and with her sister’s birthday party on the way, the only time she felt steady was when her eye lids were closed shut.

Betty heard a small knock on the door. She sprung up, thinking it was her mum. Instead she saw the face of Polly Cooper.

“Hey Betty,” her sister’s soft voice emerged from the door way.

“Poll, I thought you were mum.”

Polly sat on the edge of Betty’s bed, grabbing her foot and giving it a squeeze. It tickled Betty, letting out a small giggle.

“Ready to turn eighteen?”

Polly sighed, “it doesn't feel that way. I mean, eighteen is supposed to feel special but I honestly don’t feel special.”  
Betty looked at her sister, confused. “Why’s that?”

Polly shuffled closer to Betty, “I honestly don’t know. Maybe because we haven’t seen the Blossoms in a while. I sort of miss Cheryl,” she softly giggled. Cheryl could be such a pain sometimes, “I miss Jason. I miss aunt Penelope and uncle Clifford. Don't know why but I do.”

“Do you just miss the whole family being together?” Betty asked shuffling across so Polly could sit next to her.

Polly let out a small smile, “yes but they’re all coming for my birthday so it can’t be them. I just… I don’t know aging feels like a lot of work in the future. I’ll have to marry a guy that I have no interest in, rule a kingdom for a few years and then hand it all to you.”

“Why me?”

“Because we both know you’re the responsible one.”

Betty put her hand on her heart, “Polly I’m deeply offended,” she jokingly said.

“Well it’s true. You get to marry who you want; I’ll need to marry some rich duke. You get to create your life before entering adulthood and I just clear the way for you.” Polly’s tone of voice shrivelled down into a disappointing tone.

Betty side hugged Polly, “I’m sorry Polly.”

Polly grabbed one of her hands and squeezed, “it’s okay Betty. I just want you to be happy.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. To be honest, Betty didn’t mind at all. After this week, she rarely saw her sister.

“I’ll let you sleep love,” she hugged Betty, her arms enveloping her around the shoulders.

“No wait a few seconds. It’s almost mid-night,” Betty practically begged. She rarely was up after ten due to her mother’s ‘beauty routine,’ but after this week, she basically threw that out the window.

“Okay Betty, just for you,” Polly gave in. She retreated to Betty’s bed, folding her legs.

They both starred at the clock in Betty’s room. Counting down in whispers.

“Ten.”

“Nine.”

“Eight.”

“Seven”

“Six.”

“Five.”

“Four.”

Suddenly, a loud gunshot cracked the air as loud as thunder but without the power of a storm. By the loudness of the shot it sounded like it came from outside Betty’s room. The noise reverberated in the ears and rang out far over the hills. Silence followed and the only noise left were the two girls screaming in terror, echoing louder than the shot.

What are you supposed to think when someone’s about to kill you? What are you supposed to do? How are you supposed to react or say?

Sometimes people freeze, they freeze on the spot and don’t more an inch. Polly was one of those people.

Betty sprung out of bed, running towards her balcony door. Smashing the glass door open, she ran down the millions of creaking stairs.

Her mind was blank at that point. She completely forgot about Polly or her parents. She just needed to get out of that room and…

Polly.

She was still inside.

Her voice was faster than her mind at this point. Before thinking about any possible consequences, she screamed her sister’s name in pain and fear.

No response.

She didn’t stop running. She didn’t want to stop running. Betty wanted to run away from this entire situation that deep down, she’d rather die than be here.

Emotions overtook her senses. Before she knew it, she was crying, slobby tears streaming down her red cheeks.

By this time, she had found shelter behind the topiaries. She tried hiding but her heavy breaths would give her away. Her throat ran dry. She had no moisture in her mouth and yet, she was somehow still conscious. She thought she’d pass out by then, everything would just seem like a dream and she didn’t want to wake up.

But no, this was reality. She had left Polly behind. She left everything behind and ran like a coward into her garden.

Betty was a stupid, selfish person who didn’t deserved to be loved. She left everything she loved behind with whatever was behind that door.

“Polly,” she whispered still trying to catch her breath.

Seconds felt like hours that dragged on for eternity.

There were two more gun shots. One directly towards Betty’s glass door, shattering the door into sharp pieces. The other was a call for revenge or whoever did that. It was a signal that whatever they did, this was their revenge.

“Elizabeth!” Marie ran towards her. Betty wasn’t the only one crying. Marie tried hiding it but her eyes were blood red.

Betty swung her arms around her, sobbing into her clothes.

・ • ♔ • ・

“Elizabeth,” a louder call repeated.

She opened her eyes.

“Elizabeth thank goodness.” It was just Marie. “Are you okay? You’re crying?”

Betty touched her fingers against her face, feeling the tears from the previous night still leaving marks on her skin.

All she could do was nod, “I’m… fine.”

“Elizabeth as your maid I’m sworn to keep you at your best,” she pointed out snobbishly but then sat on her bed, giving her hand a squeeze, “but as your friend I want to know if you’re okay.”

Betty let out a sad laugh and smile, “I had a dream about Polly again. It's not a big deal. Just a panic attack.”

Marie couldn’t help but pull Betty into a hug, “please be okay. Everything’s okay now. You’re awake and you have a great day ahead of you. Nothing is crashing everything is fine.”

“Thanks Marie,” she blinked back more tears.

Marie got off Betty’s bed and handed her some towels. “I ran you a hot bubble bath for you, thought you could use it for today.”

“What’s today?” Betty asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“Well your date of course, your highness. With Prince Forsythe.”

She almost fell out of her bed. “How do you… who told you?” was all she could say.

“I see everything your highness. I saw the way he jumped over that wall surrounding the castle. I saw you twirl around once you got back from your walk. You were bursting at the seams,” Marie let out a contagious smile. “I just assumed you had either another meet up or wanted to relax from your day.”

“Oh.” It was rude just to end it there but how was she supposed to reply? “Will you be telling my mother?”

Marie instantly exploded into laughter. “Your highness, I don't think you fully comprehend this. I would never snitch on my favourite princess. He’s good for you. He provides you an escape from here.”

“How do you know this?”

She sighed taking one last sit on her soft mattress. “Elizabeth, this kingdom is hiding a lot of secrets from the public and especially from you. What you know is what your parents tell the public and I know from…” she winked, “snooping around.”

Betty grabbed one of her throw pillows and aimed to Marie. She tried putting on her best Alice impression, “how DARE you sneak around MY PERSONAL PROPERTY!”

“I’m serious Elizabeth. I know a lot more than I should and if anyone finds out about it, I must get executed.” Her tone drastically changed.

“I can keep a secret IF you never tell ‘her majesty the mad’ that I’m seeing Forsythe.”

Marie stuck her lengthy arm out, “deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this clarifies what happened to Polly! 
> 
> I love writing this, it's honestly so thought provoking but I have everything seemingly planned out so it'll be a long story.
> 
> Next chapter is fluffy and then everything goes downhill :(
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated.


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